Cleopatra eBook

Cleopatra, in parting with Antony as described in
the last chapter, lost him for two or three years.
During this time Antony himself was involved in a
great variety of difficulties and dangers, and passed
through many eventful scenes, which, however, can
not here be described in detail. His life, during
this period, was full of vicissitude and excitement,
and was spent probably in alternations of remorse for
the past and anxiety for the future. On landing
at Tyre, he was at first extremely perplexed whether
to go to Asia Minor or to Rome. His presence was
imperiously demanded in both places. The war which
Fulvia had fomented was caused, in part, by the rivalry
of Octavius, and the collision of his interests with
those of her husband. Antony was very angry with
her for having managed his affairs in such a way as
to bring about a war. After a time Antony and
Fulvia met at Athens. Fulvia had retreated to
that city, and was very seriously sick there, either
from bodily disease, or from the influence of long-continued
anxiety, vexation, and distress. They had a stormy
meeting. Neither party was disposed to exercise
any mercy toward the other. Antony left his wife
rudely and roughly, after loading her with reproaches.
A short time afterward, she sank down in sorrow to
the grave.

The death of Fulvia was an event which proved to be
of advantage to Antony. It opened the way to
a reconciliation between him and Octavius. Fulvia
had been extremely active in opposing Octavius’s
designs, and in organizing plans for resisting him.
He felt, therefore, a special hostility against her,
and, through her, against Antony. Now, however,
that she was dead, the way seemed to be in some sense
opened for a reconciliation.

Octavius had a sister, Octavia, who had been the wife
of a Roman general named Marcellus. She was a
very beautiful and a very accomplished woman, and
of a spirit very different from that of Fulvia.
She was gentle, affectionate, and kind, a lover of
peace and harmony, and not at all disposed, like Fulvia,
to assert and maintain her influence over others by
an overbearing and violent demeanor. Octavia’s
husband died about this time, and, in the course of
the movements and negotiations between Antony and
Octavius, the plan was proposed of a marriage between
Antony and Octavia, which, it was thought, would ratify
and confirm the reconciliation. This proposal
was finally agreed upon, Antony was glad to find so
easy a mode of settling his difficulties. The
people of Rome, too, and the authorities there, knowing
that the peace of the world depended upon the terms
on which these two men stood with regard to each other,
were extremely desirous that this arrangement should
be carried into effect. There was a law of the
commonwealth forbidding the marriage of a widow within
a specified period after the death of her husband.
That period had not, in Octavia’s case, yet expired.
There was, however, so strong a desire that no obstacle
should be allowed to prevent this proposed union,
or even to occasion delay, that the law was altered
expressly for this case, and Antony and Octavia were
married. The empire was divided between Octavius
and Antony, Octavius receiving the western portion
as his share, while the eastern was assigned to Antony.